Key Signature

I think that this tune is actually in the key of A Mixolydian. I’m almost positive of this. Playing this tune with an accompanying D chord sequence sounds totally off. Does anybody agree with me on this?

6/8 => 9/8

one might easily turn this tune into a slipjig (in fact it has a ‘long’ stride, a bit lik a a galloping horse: I hear a kind of 12/8 here)
playing: fed cAA eAA / fed cAA bgb / fed cAA eAA, etc a shorter stride that leads you sooner to the finish line! (for those early departing session musicians with a ‘last train’ to catch!)

definitely Amix - with the Gs played as naturals almost everywhere (Comhaltas have it transcribed in A with the G naturals marked as accidentals, but Amix seems a better solution).

There are variations, and Willie Clancy (e.g. on Minstrel from Clare) plays only the first two parts.

I’ve mostly heard minor differences from the transcription here. e.g. in the first part, EAA CBA in bars 2 and 6; holding the G (or breathing) in bar 7 (faf g2e). In the second part, I’m not sure about the G and E in bar 3. Wouldn’t that be d,f or a (for the chord)? You can sneak a G# into the first bar of the the third part for effect. A couple of other minor varations which fit a bit more naturally to my ear. For what its worth, I’m playing it roughly like this…

The Chieftains Film Cuts

This tune is labeled as Treasure Cave on The Chieftans’ Film Cuts CD. The track is from a 1990 TV movie production of Treasure Island starring Charleton Heston, Julian Glover, Oliver Reed, Christopher Lee, and Christian Bale.

Also called "The Morning Star"

Langstrom’s Pony ~ Lastrumpony ~ Lass Trumponey

According to Andrew Kuntz (tunearch.org & The Fiddler´s Companion) the origin of this tune is uncertain, appearing with multiple different names in old Scottish collections (e.g. James Oswald´s Caledonian Pocket Companion, 1760) as well as in earlier Irish publications (e.g. A Choice Collection of Country Dances with their Proper Tunes, 1726):

Langstrom’s Pony, X:5

Taken from ‘A Fine Selection of Over 200 Irish Traditional Tunes for Sessions’, compiled by David Speers with a Forward by Matt Cranitch. A two parter, like X:4 but different in the B part. I always think this is very like the Mooncoin jig in the way the tonality moves from A to G. Nice!